Dead Island 2 PS5 Pro Q&A – Xbox Series X and PC High Settings Comparison

Dead Island 2: A Journey from Development Turmoil to Launch Success

Dead Island 2 has experienced quite a tumultuous journey, leading many fans to doubt its release. Initially in the hands of Yager Development, I had the opportunity to explore a preview build during Gamescom 2014. However, soon after, publisher Deep Silver announced a pivotal shift: Yager was replaced by the British studio Sumo Digital. Fast forward three and a half years, and yet another transition occurred as Dambuster Studios, a branch of Deep Silver, took over the reins.

Given these upheavals, it remained uncertain if Dead Island 2 would ever see the light of day, and if it did, what quality players could expect. To the surprise of many, Dambuster provided a polished, enjoyable game experience that resonated with players, amassing over ten million users so far. This impressive number includes those who accessed the game through the Game Pass subscription service. Recently, the game celebrated a significant milestone with the release of the Ultimate Edition, bundling the base game, its DLCs (HAUS and SoLa), along with various weapon and skin packs.

New Features and Enhancements

The excitement doesn’t stop there. The developers have introduced several new features, including an engaging Horde mode called Neighborhood Watch, a New Game Plus mode, and comprehensive support for the PlayStation 5 Pro—all available at no additional cost. To delve deeper into the enhancements tailored for Sony’s latest gaming console, we reached out to Andrew Mitchell, Core Technology Director at Dambuster Studios, for a developer Q&A. Below the embedded video, you’ll find our discussion.

Insights from the Development Team

PS5 Pro Update Preparation

Mitchell shared that the team allocated roughly a month between Engineering and QA for the PS5 Pro update. To begin, they implemented an SDK update to ensure Dead Island 2 was compatible with the Pro. Given their prior investments in making the game scalable across both generation eight, generation nine consoles, and high-end PCs, it allowed them to efficiently optimize the game for the PS5 Pro. Following this, they conducted thorough manual QA testing and utilized an automated performance testing environment to maintain a steady 60fps without sacrificing visual quality.

Hardware Impressions

Reflecting on the PS5 Pro’s hardware, Mitchell expressed admiration for the significant GPU performance increase. This enhancement allowed Dead Island 2 to leverage advanced graphics capabilities, making it an excellent match for the game’s detailed visual requirements.

Comparative Performance Analysis

When comparing the PS5 Pro with its predecessor, the PS4 Pro, Mitchell noted that both midpoint models bring upgrades primarily in GPU performance. However, he emphasized that the PS5 Pro’s enhancements could achieve visually stunning results, similar to those observed in previous console iterations, presenting a distinct advantage for gamers.

Quality Improvements in Dead Island 2

According to Dambuster’s analysis, the PS5 Pro version of Dead Island 2 boasts notable improvements over the standard PS5 iteration. Key enhancements include:

Advanced shadows
Extended draw distances
Contact shadows applied to all objects and lights
Enhanced motion blur effects
Depth of field enhancements
Improved texture filtering

Moreover, the dynamic resolution has been unlocked to reach a native 4K output, which the game generally achieves.

Graphics Settings Comparison

Despite the game’s impressive advancements, Dambuster confirmed that they are not utilizing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). For players curious about how the PS5 Pro stacks up against the maxed-out PC version, Mitchell clarified that it matches the ‘High’ graphical settings of the PC. While an ‘Ultra’ setting exists for PC that surpasses this, the development team’s priority was to retain a reliable 60fps frame rate, thus ensuring optimal gameplay experiences.

Conclusion

As Dead Island 2 continues to evolve, its development team remains committed to delivering excellence on every platform. With the latest updates for the PS5 Pro, players can anticipate an enhanced gaming experience that showcases the technical prowess of the new hardware.

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